1001 Albums Summary

the first album we've gotten that i am super familiar with beforehand. my first interaction with illmatic was hearing ny state of mind on the radio in saints row 2 lol. my brain was not even activated in any regard at that point in my life but something deep in my soul gravitated toward the song. i remember seeking it out when i would get in a car and driving further than i needed to just to keep listening. as a lil suburban whitey i had a very superficial understanding of anything related to hip hop. i liked popular songs i came across and edgy odd future type stuff, but no real knowledge of anything beyond that. i disturbingly have to give thanks to whoever on the volition dev team got ny state of mind on the soundtrack because i actually think it sparked my interest in rap. at some point i sought out illmatic and other classic hip hop records and came to really love the genre and all that it could be. this is just such an important album and really represents what i love about hip hop in general. it embodies 90s ny. there's definitely some stuff that hasn't aged well but it's also just so real and representative of the time. plus all the songs are good! don't feel like i can really get at the point in this mid work distracted ramble but i will always have a place in my heart for this album and how it lead me to expanding my interests in all different types of art.